Your cuppa and cancer

A study of 60,000 women at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that drinking at least two cups of tea a day halved the risk of ovarian cancer. In two separate American studies, drinking two daily cuppas was also shown to cut the risk of skin cancer, while three cups a day cut the risk of breast cancer by a third. It’s the catechin – a type of flavonoid – in tea that makes it such a powerful ally against cancer but experts can’t agree which tea gives the most protection.

Black tea loses some of its antioxidants during fermentation, while lesser-processed green tea contains high levels of a super-charged catechin called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). As white tea is the least processed, some believe this may have the best cancer-fighting potential of all.

* Try Good Earth Organic White Tea, £1.89 for 18 bags, available from supermarkets and at www.goodearthteas.com